The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening coordinated border management, enhancing trade facilitation, and deepening regional economic integration following a high-level benchmarking mission to the internationally acclaimed Beitbridge Border Post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The five-day mission, which brought together customs leaders from Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin Republic, and Zimbabwe, was aimed at studying one of Africa’s most successful border management models as part of efforts to improve trade efficiency and support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Leading the Nigerian delegation was the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, alongside the Director-General of Cameroon Customs, Mr. Fongod Nuvaga; Director-General of Benin Customs, Colonel Raouf Aboudou; Acting Commissioner of Customs and Excise in the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Mrs. Lonto Ndlovu; and the Chairman of Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, Alhaji Saleh Ahmadu.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, the benchmarking exercise was organised with the support of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) as part of broader continental efforts to promote seamless cross-border trade and accelerate economic integration across Africa.
Speaking during the adoption of the Joint Communiqué at the end of the mission, Comptroller-General Adeniyi described the exercise as a significant step beyond policy discussions, stressing that African customs administrations must now focus on translating border reform initiatives into practical and measurable outcomes.
He noted that the operational success recorded at the Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts demonstrates that effective border management extends beyond physical infrastructure and depends largely on institutional collaboration, digital integration, accountability, and skilled personnel.
According to him, the lessons learned from Zimbabwe’s modern border operations will provide valuable insights for Nigeria and its regional partners as they work towards modernising border procedures, facilitating legitimate trade, improving security, and boosting economic growth.
“Beitbridge has demonstrated that border modernisation is not merely about infrastructure development. The most important lesson for us is that sustainable reform depends on coordinated institutions, clear accountability, digital interoperability, and professional human capital. We are leaving here with a renewed commitment to translate these lessons into practical solutions that will strengthen trade facilitation, security, and economic growth across our region,” Adeniyi stated.
The Director-General of the Cameroon Customs Administration, Mr. Fongod Nuvaga, also underscored the importance of stronger regional cooperation among African customs administrations.
He observed that customs authorities across the continent must collectively address procedural bottlenecks that continue to hinder legitimate trade while ensuring that border security remains uncompromised.
According to him, enhanced collaboration among neighbouring countries will enable Africa to maximise the enormous opportunities presented by the AfCFTA and significantly accelerate regional economic integration.
Similarly, the Director-General of the Benin Customs Administration, Colonel Raouf Aboudou, described the Beitbridge model as a practical example of how coordinated border operations can improve trade efficiency across West Africa.
He emphasised that harmonised customs procedures, integrated risk management systems, and stronger institutional partnerships remain essential for ensuring seamless cargo movement, reducing delays, and improving revenue collection across regional trade corridors.
Aboudou further stressed that sustained cooperation among customs administrations will be critical in delivering measurable improvements in trade facilitation and enhancing confidence among investors and businesses operating across African borders.
Earlier, the Director for Trade Facilitation and Investment Promotion at Afreximbank, Dr. Gainmore Zanamwe, explained that the benchmarking exercise formed part of the bank’s broader strategy to support trade-enabling infrastructure and strengthen regional connectivity across Africa.
According to him, the initiative was designed not only to showcase modern infrastructure but also to expose participating customs administrations to the governance structures, operational frameworks, and institutional reforms responsible for the remarkable success of Zimbabwe’s border management system.
He maintained that technology-driven operations, accountability, inter-agency collaboration, and clearly defined service standards remain the key pillars of efficient border administration.
“Infrastructure is important, but what truly drives performance is an operating model built on accountability, coordination, technology, and measurable service standards. Those are the lessons we hope will be replicated across strategic corridors on the continent,” Zanamwe said.
Throughout the five-day programme, participants engaged in technical sessions, executive briefings, facility inspections, and interactive engagements with border management agencies in Zimbabwe.
The technical team, comprising officials from the Nigeria Customs Service, Cameroon Customs Administration, Benin Customs Administration, Bergmans Security Consultant and Supplies Limited, and Bsmart Technologies, received detailed presentations on the Beitbridge Modernisation and Concession Model.
The presentations covered the financing structure, operational framework, revenue management systems, integrated border governance architecture, and concession arrangements that have transformed Beitbridge into one of Africa’s most efficient border crossings.
Delegates also toured freight terminals, cargo processing centres, scanning facilities, traffic management systems, and integrated ICT infrastructure designed to facilitate faster cargo clearance, enhance transparency, and improve border security.
The practical demonstrations provided participants with firsthand knowledge of how technology, institutional coordination, and performance-driven management have significantly reduced delays while improving operational efficiency at one of the continent’s busiest commercial border posts.
According to the Joint Communiqué signed at the end of the mission, the initiative forms part of a broader continental strategy to strengthen trade corridors linking West and Central Africa through coordinated border management and modern customs administration.
The communiqué identified the Sèmè-Kraké Corridor, connecting Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, and the Mfum-Ekok Corridor, linking Nigeria and Cameroon, as strategic trade routes that stand to benefit significantly from the adoption of One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) arrangements, harmonised customs procedures, and digital interoperability.
To ensure effective implementation of the recommendations arising from the mission, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Benin agreed to establish a Trilateral Strategic Steering Committee that will oversee the execution of agreed reforms.
The three customs administrations also committed themselves to harmonising operational procedures, strengthening coordinated risk management systems, expanding digital integration across their border operations, and investing in continuous capacity building for customs personnel.
The initiative is expected to enhance trade facilitation, improve border security, increase revenue generation, and reinforce Africa’s drive towards achieving a more integrated and competitive continental market under the AfCFTA framework.
